The field of this invention lies in integrated magnetic head structures and in processes for the production thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,841 discloses an integrated magnetic head structure having thin magnetic layers for the formation of the magnetic circuit, and having a winding which consists of a plurality of turns in the form of conductive layers arranged one above another, with interposed insulating layers. The head winding is constructed from U-shaped conductor path elements which are identical except for the elements in the lowest and uppermost conductor path layers. Further conductor path elements electrically connect one set of flank ends of the U-shaped elements to the opposed set of flank ends of the U-shaped elements in the next layer.
Thus, although the conductor path elements and the interposed insulating layers are for the main part of identical formation, seven different mask shapes are required in order to produce the conductor parcel by vapor depositing the corresponding materials onto one individual substrate. A further mask shape is required when a central tapping is desired in the head winding. Following the completion of each individual layer, the masks must be changed which necessitates readjustment on each occasion. Furthermore, at the current stage of development of the perforated mask technique, structure widths of below 50 .mu.m can hardly be achieved.